What is Remote Desktop, and should it be switched off?

Remote Desktop is a Windows feature that makes it possible to log on to a computer from another computer and use it as if you were sitting in front of it. The screen, the mouse, the keyboard, the files: all of it available at a distance.

That sounds practical, and it can be. But it is also one of the most exploited ways in when someone breaks into small-business computers. That makes the question in the title worth taking seriously.

What it is used for

Remote Desktop has entirely legitimate uses. An IT supporter helping from a distance. An employee working from home who needs the office computer. A server administered without a screen and keyboard.

What those situations have in common is that someone set it up on purpose and uses it actively. The problem is all the computers where the feature is switched on without anyone using it or remembering why.

Why it is a risk

A computer with Remote Desktop switched on listens for connections. If it can also be reached from the internet, anyone in the world can try to log on. And they do: automated programs constantly scan the internet for computers that answer Remote Desktop requests, then try thousands of usernames and passwords.

If the password is weak, reused or guessable, the door is effectively open. Many of the break-ins that end with encrypted files and a ransom demand started exactly like this: a remote access left open, and a password that did not hold.

The point is not that Remote Desktop is dangerous in itself. The point is that it is a door, and doors should only stand open while someone is actually using them.

How to check whether it is on

1. Press the Start button and open Settings (the gear).
2. Click System and find Remote Desktop in the menu.
3. Look at the toggle at the top. If it is set to On, the feature is active.

If you use the Home edition of Windows, your computer cannot act as a Remote Desktop host; the item will look different or be missing, and this particular concern does not apply to your machine in the same way.

Should it be switched off?

Ask yourself one question: Do I, or someone I trust, actively use Remote Desktop to reach this computer?

If the answer is no, or if you do not know, switch it off. You lose nothing; the feature can always be switched back on the day you need it. Click the toggle, confirm, and the door is closed.

If the answer is yes, make sure of three things: a long, unique password on every account that can log on; access open only to the networks that need it (ask whoever set it up); and the feature switched off again if the need goes away.

A habit worth having

Remote Desktop is a good example of a general rule: features that give access from outside should be off unless actively used. The same goes for file sharing, remote assistance and the like.

The hard part is not switching things off. The hard part is discovering that they are on. Settings drift over time: a program here, a troubleshooting session there. That is why it is a good habit to check once in a while, or to let a tool like Argos do it automatically and speak up if the door is suddenly open again.